Holy Week - 2010

The second evening of Bridegroom Matins.

So many of us are posting these words:

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Behold, the Bridegroom comes at midnight,

and blessed is that servant whom He shall find watching,

and again, unworthy is the servant whom He shall find heedless.

Beware, therefore, O my soul, do not be weighed down with sleep,

lest you be given up to death, and lest you be shut out of the Kingdom.

But rouse yourself crying:

Holy, Holy, Holy, art Thou, O our God,

Through the Theotokos have mercy on us.

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Bridegroom Matins is one of my all time favourite services.

***

We have to stay, as the Bridegroom Matins service says,

ever watchful,

ever vigilant

and continue to cry out for God's mercy.

The Devil wants to destroy;

we must hold the Cross of Christ high and say the Name of Jesus

and be saved.

***

This Holy Week will be complicated for me by the fact that I

will have classes until Holy Friday

(thank God Pascha is the same as the Western Christian calendar this year,

as it often is not on the same liturgical calendar)

so that I do not have to skip class to for our Holy Friday...

It is hard to study however,

but by God's mercy I did pass my midterm.

***

Blessed Holy Week to everyone!

May we repent, may our lamps be always with oil,

may we be ever watching for the Bridegroom

who comes at Midnight.